Cash carrier



J. L. BALDWIN.

CASH CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 9,1922- 1,432,947

Patented 00. 24, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET l- J. L. BALDWIN. v CASH CARRIER.

APPLICATION man JAN-9.1922. 1,482,947. Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

I 4 SHEETS'SHEE7 2. '2

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J. L. BALDWIN. CASH CARRIER.

, I APPLICATION FILED JAN- 9,1922. L432,947. Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Patented Get. 24, 1922.

JAMES L. BALDWIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

cAsn: Carmina.

Application filed January 9, 1922. Serial No. 527,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State oi Illinois, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Cash Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to apparatus employed in stores and other mercantlle establishments for the transportation of money or parcels, the same consisting of an elevated track upon which carriers travel from various sending terminals or stations to a receiving station, such as the cashiers department, the bundle wrapping departmerit, etc. 1

' The invention relates more particularly to a carrier system in which the propulsion of the carrier is effected by some interposed mechanism which is manually operable, and the invention has been illustrated in connectionwith a cash carrier.

his the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved mechanism for moving the carrier in a vertical direction fromone floor to another above where the cashiers department or other terminal or receiving station may be located, or to allow it-to continue its way along another horizontal track on such upper floor.

The elevating means are power operated, and consist in a combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in said drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of a carrier-elevating means;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. t is a viewsimilar to Fig, 3 showing the carrier supported by the elevating means;

Fig. 5' is an inverted plan view of a powercontrollingmechanism;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of said mechanism;

' Fig. 75 is a side elevation thereofi'and Fig. 8 is: an enlarged side elevation of a detail asviewed from the line 88 in Fig. 7.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 10 denotes the mechanism at the sending station of the apparatus, and as no claim is I made tor: such mechanismit need not be'described in detail. An ordinary cash carrier is shown at 11 and it is adapted to be sent along the overhead track 12 by an impulse imparted to it by the mechanism at the send ing station. At 13 is shown the floor of a room or loft which is located EIbOXG the room in which the mechanism 10 and the track 12 are located, and hence to get the carrier to such upper floor, an elevating means has been provided, this being necessary owing to the fact that the propulsive effect of the mechanism 10 is not suflicient to send the carrier 11 upwardly the required distance. A suitable distance above the floor is positioned a base board 14; which supports an electric motor 15 and other parts to be presently described. The site of these parts may be considered the location of the receiving or cashiers station, so that when the carrier 11 reaches the same it may be removed and sent back to the sending station at 10. The base board 1 1 is supported by a standard 16 rising from the floor 13 a suitable distance to locate the base board at the desired height. i

As shown at 12 in Fig. 1, the track 12 has an upward curve where it approaches the site of the receiving station, and here the floor 13 has depending hangers 17 and 18 forming supports for the track. The curved portion of the track extends to the floor and passes through a hole therein, and alongside said. portion of the track and parallel thereto is another track 19 on which the elevator to be presently described is mounted for travel. The tracksections pass through the floor, and beneath the same they are held in laterally spaced relation by arches 20 and 21, the former being carried by the hangers 17, and between the arches the track sections are connected to flat plates shown at 22 and 22. The track section 19 above the Floor 13 is fitted with a plate 23 which is carried by :1. depending hanger 23. The track section 12 terminates at the bottom of the base board 14, and to the bottom of the latter is secured a downwardly arched supporting member 2a to which the hanger 23- is se cured.

The support 24 carries a depending rod 25 on which is mounted a support 26 for a latch hook 27 the same being pivoted, as shown at 27? and provided with a releasing lever 28. The support 26 has a bottom extension 29 provided with a side lug 29 which is apertured to let the track12 through, and the latter also passes through the support. A. spring 30 holds the latch hook 27 pressed against the lug 29. The forward end of the carrier 11 has a keeper aperture 11 for the latch hook 27. and the latter is so located that it snaps into the keeper aperture when the carrier reaches the same, it being understood that the latch hook is positioned in the path of the forward end of the carrier so as to intercept the same. The latch hook is at the limit of the upward travel of the ca rrier, and to release the latter for descent it is necessary only to swing the lever 28 manually, which disengagcs the latch hook and frees the carrier so that it may descend by gravity down the track section 12. l Vith the support 26 is associated a rubber block-31 to receive the impact of the carrier, the forward end of the latter striking the block it is caught by the latch hook 2'7. The impact or blow of the carrier is. also cushioned by making the rod 25 slidable and. placing a coiled spring 32 around the same to resist its upward movement.

In order to move the carrier 11 up the ascending portion 12 of the track to the latch hook 27, which latter is its final destination a power-driven elevator is provided, thesame being mounted to travel on the track 19. This elevator is normally positioned where the track section 12 starts to ascend, and when the carrier reaches the same it is caught by the elevator and transported to its final destination.

The elevator comprises a base 33 having wheels 34 which engage the track 19 on opposite sides, andon one side of the base is a pivoted holder 35 for the carrier 11, whereas the opposite side has two longitudinally spaced guard arms 35 which serve as seats for the wheeled side of the carrier.

The holder 35 is yoke-shaped and it is pivoted to the base 33 as shown at 33 to swing transversely of the direction of travel of the carrier 11, the latter having the usual side receptacle 11 in which the cash receptacle is placed. The holder is so located that its two branches or arms 35 may straddle the part 11 as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 3shows the elevator in carrier-re ceiving position. It will be noted that the holder has been swung so that the free ends of its arms 235" face in the direction the carrier 11 is approaching, and when the latter reaches the holder, the part 11 enters between the arms. The impetus of the carrier causes the holder to swing so that the arms assume the position shown in Fig. 4, they now being in front of and to the rear of the part 11, whereby the carrier is coupled to the elevator so that it will be carried along with the elevator when the latter starts to go up. The holder 35 is locked in the'last described position by a latch 36 pivoted to the base 33 as shown at 37, and engaged by a spring 38 which tends to swing it to looking position. The back of the holder has a shoulder 39 eng ageable by the latch, and the holder has a second shoulder 39 which is engageableby the latch when the holder is in open or carrier-receiving position as shown in Fig. 3, to limit its swing in this direction. On the track plate 22 is an abutment 40 for controlling the operation of the latch 36 as will be presently described.

The elevator receives motion from a cable, belt or similar propulsion element 41, the same being connected. to the front and the rear of the elevator, as shown in Fig. 1. It will therefore be evidentthat when the cable is in motion the elevator is carried along with it. The cable'is driven by the motor 15, it being trained over a pulley 42 on the motor shaft. The cable 41 passes over a bottom pulley 43 supported bv the arch 20, and the arch 21 carries a pair of pulleys 44 for holding the two runs of the cable spaced. The arch 20 also carriesa springbumper rod 45 which is struck by the elevator at the limit of its downward travel to carrier-receiving position, and at the end of its up ward travel the elevator strikes a similar bumper 46 carried by the support 241-.

In operation, assuming the elevator to be down in receiving position as shown in Fig. 3, when the carrier 11 reachesthe elevaor, the part 11 enters between the arms 35 of the holder and the latter by the impact of the carrier then swings to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position it is locked by the latch 36. The elevator now ascends, the cable 41 having been put in motion by means to be described hereinafter, and carries the carrier along with it. When the elevator reaches the limit of its upward travel it strikes bumper 46 and the carrier is caught and held by the latch hook 27, it being understood of course, that the cable 4:1 is stopped at the same time by means later described. When the cashier or other operator desires to return the carrier, the hook 27 is disengaged, whereupon the carrier and the elevator to which it is still coupled by the holder arms 35 descend by gravity, and the elevator now goes back to receivingposition. lVhen the elevator reaches the limit of its downward travel it strikes the bumper 415., The latch 3 is now also automatically operated to unlock the holder or coupling member 35 and thus free the carrier 11 so that it may continue its travel to the sending station, free of the elevator. This operation of the latch is effected by a rearwardly projecting finger 36 thereon striking the abutment 40. hen this action takes place, the latch swings to clear the shoulder 39 which leaves the holder 35 free, and the inertia of the carrier causes its part 11? to swing the holder to clear the same, the holder now beneath the abutment when the latch swings to allow the holder 35 to release the carrier as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby prevents a rebound of the elevator as it strikes the bumper The. elevator therefore remains down, and the holder remains open and readyto receive "the carrier on its return trip. The latch finger 36 comes beneath the abutment 40 after the elevator strikes the bumper 45 and before the bumper spring can expand to cause a'rebound of the elevator. It will therefore be evident that the elevator is given an initial upward impulse when it is freed by the finger clean ing the abutment 40, this action taking place when the carrier again reaches the elevator and-its part'll swings the holder arms 35 from the receiving position shown in Fig. 3 .to the coupling position shown in Fig. 4.

The initial upward movement of the elevator just described is utilized to actuate a mechanism which controls the powersource by which the elevator propelling cable 41 is driven. This mechanism comprises the folvinsr The circuit of the motor 15 which drives the propelling cable 41 of the elevator is controlled by V a switch having the usual On and Off buttons 47 and 48 which are so connected that when one button is .pushed in the other button moves outwardly, and vice-versa. This switch is so mounted and supported on the base board 14 that the buttons are beneath the same and facing downwardly. -The motor 15 is positioned on top of the baseboardv 14 and the latter has holes 49 and 50 through which the two'runs of the cable 41 pass to the motor pulley 42.

On the under side of the baseboard 14 is mounted adepending bracket member 51 having two vertically spaced and laterally extending arms 51" and 51 The side from which these arms extend is concave and in vertical alinement with the hole 49 to serve as a slideway for. an abutment 52 carried by that portion of the cable 41 which runs upward in said hole,said abutment having an upward taper as clearly shown in Figures 6 and? V To the arm 51 is pivoted, as shown at 53, .an upwardly extending member 54 havin i its upper end forked and carrying a roller 54 which is'opposite the concave side of the member 51, with the abutment 52 seating between these parts.

At 55 is shown an actuator forthe switch button 114?,the same being a finger extendflag laterall fromja member 56 pivoted at 56 to the arm 51 and depending from the latter alongside the member 54 but spaced therefrom. Between i'neinbcr 54 and member 56 is interposed a coiled spring 57 anchm'cd to said parts in any suitable manner. The member '54 therefore serves as a swing;- ing abutment for one end of the spring; 57.

The member 56 carries a latch lever 56, the same being pivoted to the lower end thereof, as shown at 58% and between the tail of said lever and a sidelug 56 on member 56 is interposed a spring 56 tending to swing'the lever inone direction.

The latch lever 58 has a laterally extending arm 59 provided with a slot having; a side notch 59 at one end into which extends a side pin 60 on the arm 531. The extremity of the latch lever carries a pivoted dog 61 which is normally held in an advanced position by a spring 62 so as to locate its extremity beneath the abutment 52 as shown in Fig. 6. The outward swing of the dog is limited by a shoulder 61 at its pivoted end.

Fig. 6 shows the positionof the parts when the motor circuit is open. the On witch button 4? being in inactive position. The abutment 52 is between the roller 54 and the concave side. of bracket member 51 which latter forms a stationary abutment opposite the pivoted abutment :54. The

lever 56 has been swung in the direction of the abutment 54 to compresssprine' 5'7, and. lever 55 is locked in this position by the notch 59 of latch 58 engaging the pin 60. When the hereinbefore described initial impulse or upward movement of the elevator occurs, that portion of the cable 41 to which abutment 52 is secured goes down a corresponding distance, with the result that the bottom of the abutment strikes the dog 61 and trips the latch 58 to release lever 56 which latter is then swung by spring 57 to press the finger 55 upwardly and thereby push in the On switch button. The motor circuit being now closed. the cable 41 is operated to carry the elevator and its load upwardly to its destination. and when. reaching the latter, the motor circuit is automatically broken by a mechanism which will now be described.

On the cable 41 is a second abutment 63 similar to abutment 52 but made up of a coiled spring which is closely wound. The abutment 661s interposed in that portion of the cable 41 which travels upwardly when the elevator is going up, and it is close to the elevator and in advance thereof so as to function at the time the elevator reaches its destination.

On the under side of the base board 14 is mounted an actuator mechanism for the Off switch button 48, said mechanism being controlled by the abutment 63. This mechanism comprises a base 64 having a pair of depending branches which are connected at their extremities to term a jaw 66, opposite which latter is a roller 6'? carried by a pivoted fort: 68 having its rear end. :t'ormed with a finger 65) positioned to press on the button L8.

l /Vhen the elevator reaches its destination on its upward travel, the abutment 63 is forced between the jaw 66 and roller 67', withthe result that the finger 69 swings to press the button 48 in, thereby opening the motor circuit. As the button as pressed in, the luitton 4-,? .is of course, advanced,

and this movement oi button swings lever 56 over toward abutment 54: and places latch 58 inlockingposition. The (311 button 4;? control mechanism is in this way restored to the normal position shown in Fig. ('3, ready for the next operation. As the elevator is allowed to go down back to receiving position, that portion of the cable 41 which carries abutment 52 goes up and restores the latter to the position shown in Fig. 6 between the stationary abutment 51 and roller 5-1", the abutment 52, as it engages roller 5 F, swinging abutment :Stbacl-z to place spring 57 under tension. is the dog-61 is pivoted, it slips to allow the abutment 52 to passupwardly.

I claim': V

1. In an apparatus of the kind stated a carrier elevator, an endless. propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, a switch actuator for closing the motor circuit, a switch actuator for opening the motor circuit, and means for automatically effecting the operation of said actuators in succession.

2. 111 an apparatus of the kind stated a carrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is'connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destinatioma switch controlling the circuit of the motor, a switch actuator for closing the mot r circuit, a switch actuator for opening the motor circuit, and means on the propulsion member for aiitoi'natically effecting the operation of said actuators in succession.

In an apparatus-oi" the kind stated a carrier elevator, an endless her to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, a switch actuator for closing the motor circuit, a switch actuator for opening the motor circuit, and meanson opposite runs of the propulsion member for effecting the operation of the switch actuators in succession.

propulsion mem- 4-3 In an apparatus of the kind stated a carrier elevator, an endlesspropulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator tojits destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, a switchactuator for closing the'motor circuit, a switch actuator for openingvthe motor circuit, means on opposite runs of the propulsion member for effecting the operation or" the switch actuators in succession, said means on one run controlling one-actuator and the means on the other run controlling the other actuator.

5. In an apparatus of the kind stated a carrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor,'a switch actuator for closing the motor circuit, a switch actuator for opening themotor circuit, means on opposite runs ofthe propulsion member for effecting the operation of the; switch actuators in succession, said means on one run controllingone actuator, the'means on the other run controlling the other actuator, and means for imparting an initial impulseto the propulsion member forefl'ecting the operation of the switch actuator which closes the motor circuit. ,y r

6. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a *arrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor fordriving the propulsion member in a direction-to carry theelevator to its destination, a switch'controlling the circuit of the motor, said switch having circuit closing and opening buttons which are connected to move simultaneously in opposite directions, actuators for said buttons,

and means for automatically effecting the operation of said actuators in succession.

7. in an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier elevator, a propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor,said switchhaving circuit closing and opening buttons which are connected to .IHOVG simultaneously in opposite directions, actuators for said buttons,.and means on the propulsion member for automatically effecting the operation of said actuators in succession. p I

8. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switchcontroll'mg the circuit of the motor, said switch having circuit closing and opening buttons which are connected to move simultaneously in opposite directions, actuators for said buttons, and means on opposite runs of the propulsion member for effecting the operation oi the switch actuators in succession.

9. In an apparatus of the kind stated, carrier elevator an endless propulsion memher to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, said switch having circuit closiing and opening buttons which are connected to move simultaneously in opposite directions, actuators for said buttons, and means on opposite runs of the propulion member for effecting the operation of the switch actuators in succession, said means on one run COntrolling one actuator andthe means on the other run controlling the other actuator.

10. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, said switch having circuit closing and opening buttons which are connected to move simultaneously in opposite directions, actuators for said buttons, means on opposite runs of the propulsion member for efiecting the operation oi? the switch actuators in succession, said means on one run controlling one actuator and the means on the other run controlling the other actuator, and means for imparting an initial impulse to the propulsion member for edect ing the operation of the switch actuator which actuates the circuit closing button of the switch.

11. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier elevator, an endless propulsion member to which the elevator is connected, an electric motor for driving the propulsion member in a direction to carry the elevator to its destination, a switchcontrolling the circuit of the motor, said switch having circuit closing and opening buttons which are connected to move simultaneously in opposite directions, a pivoted actuator for the circuit closing button, a spring for imparting a working stroke to the actuator, a pivoted abutment between which and the actuator the spring is interposed, a latch for locking the actuator in retracted position to the abutment, a stationary abutment opposite the pivoted abutment, an abutment on the propulsion member normally positioned between the stationary and the pivoted abutments, and into the path of which the latch extends, means for imparting an initial impulse to the proplusion member for carrying the abutment thereon in a direction to trip the latch, an actuator for the circuit opening button, and an abutment on the propulsion member for eitecting the operation of the last-mentioned actuator.

12. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier, an elevator for the carrier toward which the carrier travels, propulsion means for the elevator, and a holder for coupling the carrier to the elevator, said holder being positioned to intercept the carrier.

13. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier, an elevator for the carrier toward which the carrier travels, propulsion means for the elevator, a holder for the carrier pivotally mounted on the elevator to swing from receiving to holding position, a latc-n for locking the holde in carrier-holding position, and an abutment in the path of the latch for tripping the same.

l i. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier, an elevator for the carrier toward which the carrier travels, propulsion means for the elevator, a holder for the carrier pivotally mounted on the elevator to swing from receiving to holding position, a latch for locking the holder incarrier-holding position, and an abutment in the path of the latch for tripping the same, said latch having means for limiting the swing of the holder to carrier-receiving position.

15. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier, an elevator for the carrier toward which the carrier travels, propulsion means for the elevator, a yoke-shaped holder for the carrier pivotally mounted on the elevator to swing from receiving to holding position, a latch for locking the holder in carrier-holding position, and an abutment in the path or the latch for tripping the same, the holder having a shoulder engageable by the latch, and a second shoulder engageable by the latch for limiting the swing of the holder to cari:'ier=i'eceiving position.

l6. In an apparatus of the kind stated, a carrier, an elevator for the carrier toward which'the carrier travels, propulsion means for the elevator, and a holder "for coupling the carrier to the elevator, said holder being positioned to intercept the carrier, and a catch engageable with the carrier for holding the same at the limit of the propulsion stroke of the elevator.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JAMES L. BALDWIN. 

